Talmud Celebration

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A religious celebration of the Talmud drew tens of thousands of people to MetLife Stadium for prayers and song.

The event Wednesday night celebrated the completion of the reading of the book of Jewish laws and traditions. It is 2,711 pages long and takes about seven and a half years to finish.

Organizers held the program to mark the start of the 13th cycle of study and reading. MetLife Stadium was transformed into what organizers called the world's largest synagogue. It cost about $4 million.

The five-hour program included speeches, prayers and songs in both Hebrew and English. Though upbeat and joyous, portions of it were somber. It was dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.